Wunderman on a restructuring spree

The direct marketing branch of Rediffusion Y&R will now function through two entities-- Rediffusion-Wunderman (previously called Wunderman India) and Wunderman International

Wunderman, the direct marketing branch of Rediffusion Y&R, is going through a major restructuring process. It will now operate in the country through two entities-- Rediffusion-Wunderman (operational as Wunderman India for the last 12 years) and Wunderman International. The move is part of a bilateral strategy, keeping in mind its focus on India as a key market.

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Commenting on the two entities, Daniel Morel, global CEO and chairman of Wunderman says, "Domestic and international clients don't have the same requirements. Keeping their specific needs in mind, we're getting organized to match their expectations, with the required skills and mindset within the two sister companies."

The rechristened Rediffusion-Wunderman will be headquartered in Mumbai and headed by Leroy Alvares. It will look after both domestic and global companies in India, its key clients being Tata Motors, Kingfisher Airlines, Airtel, Birla Sun Life Insurance, Esprit, Accenture, TVS, ITBC, Allen Solly, Home Town and Which Right Choice. Rediffusion-Wunderman has over 90 people in offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Speaking to afaqs!, Leroy Alvares, president, Rediffusion-Wunderman, says, "The Rediffusion-Wunderman name change comes at a time when we are done with our backstage work of beefing up our team of experts and setting up strong hubs, on the basis of our offering of digital, data and direct solutions."

"We retained the name 'Rediffusion' to leverage the group strength; while 'Wunderman' stands for its vast network," explains Alvares.

He adds, "We, as a company, will look forward to deeper understanding of customer insights, and thereby come up with newer and better ways to create more impactful conversations." Alvares, however, rules out possibilities of changes in management.

On the other hand, Wunderman International, headquartered in Delhi, will be headed by Aditya Atri; and will be dedicated to global network clients. Wunderman International has over 100 employees, with offices in Delhi and Chennai. Its key clients include Microsoft, Nokia and Ford.

For the record, Wunderman, a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, is a member of the WPP group. Its global network spans 15 companies and more than 130 offices in 55 countries.